Easter dinner doesn’t have to be stressful

Easter dinner is a wonderful reason to gather the family in your house around the table to eat, talk, and connect. Getting the entire family involved can make the task easier and more enjoyable, building more time together. The plus side, if they do a great job, you can recruit your kids for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

One trick to getting your kids to help is to let them pick something to make. You can let them choose from a few recipes you want on the menu, or let them pick anything. They might surprise you with how well they can cook!

However, if you are needing some ideas, look no further.

My favorite recipe book, ever is Deliciously Southern by Aletia DuPree. She has a blog with more recipes at her Discover the Joy of Southern Cooking.

Her family owned the famous BJ’s Restaurant in Calhoun and she turned those popular home cooked recipes into a great cookbook. This is my go-to when I need some great ideas. I reached the epitome of cooking, when my mama told me that my chicken and dumplin’s were better than hers! Thank you, Aletia!

I did not include the chicken and dumplin’s recipe here. I focused on food that are traditional Easter dinner. So, enjoy and check out her blog!

Sunday Honey Baked Ham

1 (14- to 16-pound) cured ham

1 (16-ounce) bottle of cola-flavored carbonated beverage

1 cup orange juice

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup honey

Garnish with pineapple slices and red cherries

Preheat the oven to 300-degrees. Trim the skin and fat, leaving about 1/4-inch of fat to 4-inches from the small end of ham. Place the ham in a heavy Dutch oven and pour the cola over it. Add 1/2-inch water to pan. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour. Remove cover and combine juices and pour over ham. Leave uncovered and bake for another 1 hour, basting twice with pan juices. While ham is baking, combine brown sugar, cloves and one. After the second hour, remove the ham from the oven and continue baking for another 1 hour, basting occasionally with pan drippings. Score ham in a crisscross pattern. Place in each score pineapple rings and cherries.

Serves 30-35.

 

Sweet Vidalia Onion Casserole

5 medium Vidalia onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups crushed round buttery crackers

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

 

Preheat the over to 350-degrees. Saute the onions in butter. Cook until limp, but not brown. Place half of the onions in a round 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with half other Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, crackers, salt and pepper. Add remaining onions and repeat layers, ending with crackers. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown. You may need to add 3 or 4 tablespoons of milk during baking if too much liquid has been absorbed by the crackers.

Lemon Coconut Bars

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped slivered almonds, toasted

Lemon Chess Pie Filling

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

 

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. For crust, combine flour and 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly; stir in almonds. Firmly press mixture into lightly greased 13×9-inch pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown.

To make the filling, mix all the ingredients together; pour over the baked crust. Bake at 350-degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until filling is set. Cool pan on wire rack. Sprinkle with the remaining confectioners’ sugar and cut into bars.

 

Who would you like to see featured in the Sunday Edition’s Cook of the Week? You? Your mom? That lady at church that makes the best desserts? Send me an email with their contact information to susan@fetchyournews.com

Featured image: Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash